g Australian professional Cameron Smith seized the first round lead in the Asia-Pacific Open Golf Championship in Japan.
Smith, a member of Golf Australia’s rookie pro squad, has been enjoying an outstanding season on the Asian Tour.
The 21-year-old made five birdies between the 11th and 17th holes to shoot 66 and remain clear of a pack of five players tied for second at Otone Country Club in Ibaraki, north-east of Tokyo.
"I'm feeling really good. We had a little break in the middle of the year and it's really good to be back, fresh and competitive again," Smith told Reuters.
"I putted well today as I struggled a bit in the last couple of weeks with the putter but today was really nice and hopefully I can keep that going for the next three days."
Smith, from Queensland, has had three top-10 finishes this season already.
He is the 2013 Australian amateur champion and the 2011 Australian junior champion.